CDOT says the Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) Scenic Byway climbs more than 7,000 feet in 28 miles to an altitude of 14,130 feet, above timberline, where its page lists pikas, marmots and mountain goats. Vehicles need a timed-entry reservation booked at recreation.gov, and that listing states that as of October 5, 2026 the road (State Highway 5) is closed to vehicle access through 2026, so the summit road is shut for the season; CDOT's own page gives the summit season as Memorial Day through Labor Day and says the byway is open from Idaho Springs to the Evergreen Parkway. Reservations and fees are not required for bicycles or pedestrians reaching the area by designated hiking trails, federal recreation passes are no longer accepted, and vehicles over 30 feet are not recommended on the steep, narrow, winding road. The reservation price could not be confirmed from an official page, so it is not stated here.
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, not drive time.
- Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (BJC) — 31 miles
- Centennial (APA) — 41 miles
- Buckley Space Force Base (BFK) — 45 miles
Live Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
We checked closures, reservations and seasonal opening on 2026-10-14. These change without notice — confirm with recreation.gov, denvergov.org and codot.gov the week you travel.
Sources — 5 claims, 5 checked against the source
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| As of October 5th, 2026, the Mount Blue Sky Road (State Highway 5) is closed to vehicle access through 2026 (checked 2026-10-14) | Recreation.gov - Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area Timed Tickets | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Vehicle or motorcycle visitors must buy a timed ticket reservation at recreation.gov; federal recreation passes no longer accepted (checked 2026-10-14) | Recreation.gov - Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area Timed Tickets | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Timed entry reservations required for vehicles and motorcycles; reservations and fees not required for bicycles or pedestrians accessing via designated hiking trails (checked 2026-10-14) | City and County of Denver - Mount Blue Sky | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Summit season Memorial Day through Labor Day; byway open from Idaho Springs to the Evergreen Parkway (checked 2026-10-14; CDOT page text is older than the recreation.gov closure notice) | CDOT - Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Byway climbs more than 7,000 feet in 28 miles to 14,130 feet; pikas, marmots, mountain goats; vehicles over 30 feet not recommended on CO 5 (checked 2026-10-14) | CDOT - Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) | Checked |